Bill Caption

Relating to governmental entities subject to the sunset review process.

Fiscal Notes

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB 3123, As Introduced: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2017.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

Bill Analysis

HB 3123 would make changes to certain government entities regarding the sunset review process:

• The Credit Union Department (CUD) and the Credit Union Commission (CUC) would be abolished on September 1, 2019, instead of its current date of September 1, 2021.   

• The scheduled date of abolishment for the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC) would be pushed back from September 1, 2015 to September 1, 2021.   

• The Sulphur River Basin Authority (SRBA) would be removed from the sunset review process. 

Vote Recommendation Notes

It is common for the legislature to change the Sunset review date for certain agencies so the Sunset Advisory Commission (SAC) is not overburden with its workload. Additionally, SAC conducts its review process by subject matter; thus the legislature will align the review dates of certain agencies with other agencies dealing with a similar subject matter.      

The standard Sunset review period for any agency is every 12-years. However, Since TFC had its Sunset review completed in 2014-2015 SAC recommends scheduling its next review in 6-years so that it would align with the review of other agencies with similar subject matters.

Currently, SRBA is set for sunset review next year, but HB 3123 would repeal that date and delay it by two years so that its review schedule aligns with other river authorities. It is important to note that this bill would not remove SRBA from sunset review; it would just repeal the SRBAs sunset review date scheduled for next year.

SRBA is the only river authority to be under Sunset review. HB 1290 would bring all river authorities under Sunset review. If HB 1290 passes then, under HB 3123, SRBAs Sunset review would occur in conjunction with the reviews of other river authorities in two years. In either case, SRBA would remain under SAC authority.  

We stand neutral on HB 3123 since it only reorganizes the Sunset review dates for certain agencies.